The Rev. William Stephen Dunn pastor of St. John Chrysostom Parish in West Roxbury, Mass., passed away Monday morning, May 20, after a short illness. He was 69.
The wake will be 3 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, at the parish. The funeral mass will be 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury.
Rev. Dunn practiced Internal Medicine as a physician for more than 30 years, tending to people’s bodies, and became a priest seven years ago, tending to their spiritual lives. He will be remembered fondly by family and friends for his kindness, dignified demeanor and dry sense of humor. He recently returned from a trip to the Holy Land, the highlights of which included a trip to the tomb of Jesus and seeing the Shroud of Turin. He loved to travel to Europe and once took his four sisters to visit Ireland.
He was born April 16, 1944, to Robert and Isabel Sutton Dunn in Deadwood, S.D., the fifth of eight children. He graduated from Lead (S.D.) High School before going to Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., where he earned both his bachelor’s and medical degrees. He completed his medical residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital, University of Massachusetts, in Worcester.
Rev. Dunn practiced and taught medicine for 10 years in St. Louis, before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1986. He worked and taught at George Washington University Medical School. He earned a master’s degree in public health from GWU.
In 2002, he began a discernment process for entrance to the seminary to study for the priesthood, something he had considered in his youth before pursuing medicine. He began studying for the priesthood at Blessed John, XXIII, National Seminary and was ordained a deacon on Jan. 28, 2006.
On May 27, 2006, he was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of Holy Cross in Boston by Archbishop Sean Patrick O’Malley. Rev. Dunn celebrated his first Mass on May 28, 2006.
His first assignment was at St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford, Mass., the fourth largest parish in the Archdiocese in Boston. He has been pastor at St. John Chrysostum Parish since December 2010.
Rev. Dunn is survived by his brothers, Dr. Michael J. (Ann) Dunn of Omaha, Neb., and Dennis E. (Kay) Dunn of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; his sisters, Pat (Ralph) Knutson of Spokane, Wash.; Kathleen Salazar of Rapid City, S.D.; Mary Jane Brune of Overland Park, Kans., and Rosemarie (Bob) Pearman of Spearfish, S.D.; Aunt Mary Parsley of Brookings, S.D., and uncles Michael Sutton of Minneapolis and Philip (Rosemary) Sutton of Grandview, Mo.; numerous nephews and nieces and good friends, especially Maura Fleming of West Roxbury, Dionne Davitt of St. Louis, Mo.; and Maureen Banks of Jamaica Plain, Mass.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Terrence John Dunn, nephew Timothy Dunn and several aunts and uncles. In lieu of flowers donation may be made to St. John's parking lot fund, 4740 Washington St. West Roxbury, MA 02132
The wake will be 3 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, at the parish. The funeral mass will be 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury.
Rev. Dunn practiced Internal Medicine as a physician for more than 30 years, tending to people’s bodies, and became a priest seven years ago, tending to their spiritual lives. He will be remembered fondly by family and friends for his kindness, dignified demeanor and dry sense of humor. He recently returned from a trip to the Holy Land, the highlights of which included a trip to the tomb of Jesus and seeing the Shroud of Turin. He loved to travel to Europe and once took his four sisters to visit Ireland.
He was born April 16, 1944, to Robert and Isabel Sutton Dunn in Deadwood, S.D., the fifth of eight children. He graduated from Lead (S.D.) High School before going to Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., where he earned both his bachelor’s and medical degrees. He completed his medical residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital, University of Massachusetts, in Worcester.
Rev. Dunn practiced and taught medicine for 10 years in St. Louis, before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1986. He worked and taught at George Washington University Medical School. He earned a master’s degree in public health from GWU.
In 2002, he began a discernment process for entrance to the seminary to study for the priesthood, something he had considered in his youth before pursuing medicine. He began studying for the priesthood at Blessed John, XXIII, National Seminary and was ordained a deacon on Jan. 28, 2006.
On May 27, 2006, he was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of Holy Cross in Boston by Archbishop Sean Patrick O’Malley. Rev. Dunn celebrated his first Mass on May 28, 2006.
His first assignment was at St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford, Mass., the fourth largest parish in the Archdiocese in Boston. He has been pastor at St. John Chrysostum Parish since December 2010.
Rev. Dunn is survived by his brothers, Dr. Michael J. (Ann) Dunn of Omaha, Neb., and Dennis E. (Kay) Dunn of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; his sisters, Pat (Ralph) Knutson of Spokane, Wash.; Kathleen Salazar of Rapid City, S.D.; Mary Jane Brune of Overland Park, Kans., and Rosemarie (Bob) Pearman of Spearfish, S.D.; Aunt Mary Parsley of Brookings, S.D., and uncles Michael Sutton of Minneapolis and Philip (Rosemary) Sutton of Grandview, Mo.; numerous nephews and nieces and good friends, especially Maura Fleming of West Roxbury, Dionne Davitt of St. Louis, Mo.; and Maureen Banks of Jamaica Plain, Mass.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Terrence John Dunn, nephew Timothy Dunn and several aunts and uncles. In lieu of flowers donation may be made to St. John's parking lot fund, 4740 Washington St. West Roxbury, MA 02132
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